Bangalore: KJP president B S Yeddyurappa demanded on Tuesday that the government should extend the Shaadibhagya scheme, under which Rs 50,000 is provided for the marriage of poor Muslim women, to all communities.
The former chief minister said that his party was not against the Shaadibhagya scheme. But there should be no discrimination when it comes to helping the poor. To draw the attention of the government to the demand, a symbolic protest would be staged in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue near Mayura Circle in Bangalore on October 31, he said.
He told reporters that in case the government fails to respond to the demand, then a statewide agitation would be launched.
The scheme seeks to provide a one-time financial assistance of Rs 50,000 each to Muslim women whose family income is less than Rs 1.5 lakh per annum during marriage.
No response from NDA
Yeddyurappa, replying to a question, said he is yet to receive a response from NDA chairperson L K Advani with regard to his letter that the KJP be made an alliance partner of the NDA for the Lok Sabha elections. But, he said, his offer still stands.
“I am confident that I will get a positive response. It is in the interest of the NDA,” and added that there was no question of merging his party with the BJP. However, he reiterated that the KJP will support the candidature of Narendra Modi for prime ministership through NDA.
In a recent letter to Advani, Yeddyurappa had requested him to involve the KJP in all the deliberations of the NDA, by inviting it to all the meetings.
Yeddyurappa said some BJP leaders were intentionally trying to create confusion in the minds of people by spreading rumours about the impending merger of the KJP with the BJP.
“I categorically state that the KJP will remain a separate political party,” he said.
He said the KJP was keen to contest from 10 Lok Sabha seats, including Chamarajanagar, Mysore, Haveri, Shimoga, Tumkur, Bidar and Gulbarga.
To a query whether he would meet Modi during the latter’s visit to Bangalore to address a rally on November 17, Yeddyurappa replied in the negative. Yeddyurappa said he had not received any invitation to attend the rally.
